The FAA Just Closed Low-Flying Airspace Over Ferguson

The Ferguson "revolution" may be televised courtesy of straight to YouTube cell phone clips, but any chopper-based TV crews will have to find a different vantage point, as will any and all low flying aircraft (with the exception of US government drones of course), because moments ago, the FAA announced that starting 1315 UTC through 2000 UTC on August 12, "No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM (except as described). ONLY RELIEF AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS UNDER DIRECTION OF ST." The Reason? "TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES." Because TV crews recording every incident put "law enforcement" in jeopardy?

FDC 4/2599 ZKC MO..AIRSPACE FERGUSON, MO..TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS 3 NM RADIUS OF 384428N0901812W (ST LOUIS VORTAC STL129011.0) SFC-3000FT TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.137(A)(2) TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT. ONLY RELIEF AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS UNDER DIRECTION OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE AUTHORIZED IN THE AIRSPACE. AIRCRAFT LANDING AND DEPARTING ST. LOUIS LAMBERT AIRPORT ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS TFR. ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT, TELEPHONE 3148892360 , IS IN CHARGE OF THE OPERATION. KANSAS CITY /ZKC/ ARTCC, TELEPHONE 9132548500, IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY. 1408121315-1408182000

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To summarize, in addition to the heavily militarized police presence, and the barring of journalists and protestors, the government just prohibited news helicopters. Which, of course, is simply government code that tonight Ferguson may get "turbulent."

I pray that those good folks who were valiantly defending the Bundy Ranch make their way to Ferguson to protect the people there from looters and from the defective "law enforcement" that caused this whole fucking mess.

Something is going to go down shortly and it won't be pretty, unless the people stop what is coming.

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Lambert Airport reports the flight restrictions for commercial aircraft over Ferguson — imposed by the FAA after riots — have been lifted.

Lambert Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge previously said that at the urging of police, the FAA had ordered no flights over Ferguson for the time being.

“There had been a shot in the air sometime Sunday evening, there had also been a helicopter flying over,” she said. “It doesn’t mean it was shooting at the helicopter but there was a shot into the air, so they put this temporary flying order in place.”

Is that place still standing? I got lost around there about 10 years ago. Even then it was a wasteland. All those missionaries feel compelled to go to Africa when the same conditions can be found within 100 miles of their congregations... Willful ignorance and denial doesn't even begin to describe it.

Ferguson in the North St. Louis suburbs., It's not anywhere near East St. Louis.

White people are very phobic about blacks in St.Louis. Any neighborhood where you might possibly see a black face is consisdered to be a bad place to live. So I think there might be a bit of overreaction going on there.

I was at Bundy Ranch, but they also employed the same scheme of restricting airspace, in order to control media and the narrative. The last thing TPTB want is aerial images of masses of pissed off people.

Note how indymedia jumped on the announcement. It's like waving a big red flag in front of a bull: "SOMETHING ABOUT TO HAPPEN HERE THAT WE DON'T WANT FOLKS TO SEE." It's an INVITATION to anyone with a camera. Lesson from other recent boondoggles: RECORD IT ALL FOR POSTERITY IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

They need to control the media, because the media are morons (well, journalism majors to be precise, but why quibble). During the Rodney King riots in LA, KTLA news choppers were hovering over the city making broadcasts like "we are at Slauson and Normandy, where looters are carrying away stereos and TVs, and there are no cops in sight!". They were practically cheering the looters on.

I wonder if this is twofold. First, won't be any pesky third party reporting of how the riot cops handle things and second, wont be any repeats of the Reginald Denny beating that would portray a certain demographic as less than civilized.

I'm not saying this was done for political reasons, it's just interesting that race riots has really been proposed as a reason to not impeach him. In that case we're being held hostag. They have more than enough cause to impeach even if it doesn't actually remove him.

I think it's actually the no opposition Repubs that are afraid to impeach. The argument used is that it will motivate the Democrat base or in the extreme case, cause riots. That's why I don't think he'll ever be impeached even if Repubs win the Senate in November.

A guy defended his gun store and neighbor's tatoo parlor with his AR-15. Looters went to easier targets. - - - - This guy said that things had quieted down a great deal, especially after the mother of the kid shot asked for an end to the looting.

The TFR isn't big enough to hide from the media's zoom lenses. Besides, the media hasn't covered any of this with helicopters in the first place. At least, not at night when the burning and looting has been occuring. They just aren't well equipped for nightime helicopter news casts, TFR or no TFR. This has to do with Lambert International Airport right next door and not having airliners and numbskulls like me in C172's having to dodge police helicopters that are in pursuit of looters.

I live in an area that routinely experiences civil unrest and riots. We have two major airports nearby, constant air traffic, and they never shut down the airspace.

At least the cops will be safe.

Good luck out there in no-fly-over-country.

Edit: The restriction isn't so you won't collide with a police helicopter.

The decision to request the FAA’s help in securing flight restriction ”was made immediately when our St. Louis County Police helicopter was fired at multiple times on Sunday night,” St. Louis County police spokesman Brian Schellman told The Daily Caller.

“Due to the hostile scene, they called for the restriction for the safety of those flying,” Schellman said. “As soon as [police commanders] feel it is safe to resume so, they will lift the restriction.”

It doesn't matter what the police spokesman said. The FAA gives the reason for the NOTAM as "To Provide a Safe Environment for Law Enforcement Activities." The cops may have been shot at, but a TFR isn't going to make the cops less likely to be shot at.

The TFR goes out to airmen. If the danger was of their aircraft being hit by gunfire, that's what the reason would be.